TEACHER RESOURCE SELF-GUIDED VISIT ACTIVITY GRADES 6–12
About this Resource
This resource will allow you to lead your students through close looking and writing exercises to
enable them to describe, analyze, and interpret the work of artist Kehinde Wiley during their visit.
This approach to looking at art is based on the Art of Seeing Art method created by the Toledo
Museum of Art. It is worksheet-based and will help you and your students explore portraiture in
the Toledo Museum of Art’s collection.
How to use this Resource
• Print out the document for yourself.
• Read through the document carefully as you look at the image of the work of art.
• If time allows, you should consider visiting the Museum in advance of your field trip.
• During your Museum visit, gather your class in front of the work of art, distribute the
worksheets and have a discussion about the painting.
• In small groups have the students work together to explore the Museum galleries and complete
the attached diamante worksheet.
This exercise is meant for use at the Toledo Museum of Art. We are open Tuesday and Wednesday
10 a.m.–4 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m.–5
p.m. Docent-led and self-guided tours are available free of charge; we request that all groups
register in advance. Visit http://www.toledomuseum.org/visit/tours/school-tours/ to schedule.
Connections to the Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Materials: Description & Diamante worksheet, pencils
Length: 20–25 minutes
Step 1: Tell the students that they are going to work together to write a diamante poem to
connect two works of art. When a diamante poem is written, it takes on the shape of
a diamond.
Step 2: Gather your class around Kehinde Wiley’s Saint Francis of Paola. Ask the groups to look closely at the image and describe what they see. After a few minutes of discussion, pass out the worksheets and ask the group to write down adjectives that describe
the work.
Step 3: Divide the students in to small groups of 3–4. Ask them to work together to complete the first three lines of the poem using the adjectives that they listed during the discussion. After the groups have finished writing, ask a few to share their work.
Step 4: Tell the students that it is their turn to find a work of art that reminds them of the Kehinde Wiley painting and finish the poem. Tell the students that they will need to work together to find a collection connection and complete the worksheet—making a sketch of their chosen work, listing adjectives, and finally writing the poem.
Step 5: Staying in their groups, allow the students to travel through the museum galleries to choose a collection connection. At this time, it may be helpful to give the students a time and place to meet up at the end of the activity.
Step 6: When the class has regrouped, ask the students to share their poems.
Ask the group to consider the following:
• What was challenging about this activity?
• What new insights did you gain into the work of art?
Description Worksheet
1. List adjectives to describe Saint Francis
of Paola:
2. Find a work of art in another gallery that
reminds you of Kehinde Wiley’s work. Make
a quick sketch of what you see:
3. List adjectives to describe your selected work
of art:
Diamante Worksheet
After describing both works of art, work together to write a diamante poem that connects both.
Remember, a diamante poem is made up of 7 lines using a set structure:
An example of a diamante poem
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
Line
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
Beginning subject
Two describing words about line 1
Three doing verbs about line 1
A short phrase about line 1, a short phrase about line 7
Three doing verbs about line 7
Two describing words about line 7
End subject
Bike
Shiny, quiet,
Pedaling, spinning, weaving
Whizzing around corners, zooming along roads
Racing, roaring, speeding
Fast, loud,
Car
Use this organizer to write your own diamante.
Beginning subject (1 word)
Two describing words about line 1
Three -ing verbs about line 1
Short phrase about line 1, short phrase about line 7
Three -ing verbs about line 7
Two describing words about line 7
End subject (1 word)